The South African-born Surrey express paceman jets off to India this week with a Test place well within his grasp

England's South African-born stars

STUART MEAKER (yet to make debut): South African parents. Moved to England with his mother at the age of 12. Expected to make England debut in India

Think of a fast bowler today and you tend to think of a beanpole, though
historically many of the breed’s most lethal operators have been relatively
short. They bowl the fuller length that threatens the stumps and their
natural pace isn’t lost by banging the ball into the turf. There have not
been many better, for instance, than Dale Steyn, Malcolm Marshall or Harold
Larwood.

Stuart Meaker, 22, who leaves tomorrow for his first England tour, belongs to
this type. Chris Tremlett, Steven Finn and Stuart Broad may have the inches
but Meaker, who stands a modest 6ft 1in, is rated faster than them all — and
faster than any other bowler in England today at 93-95mph.

His technical capabilities have excited a lot of people in cricket. “He is
physically exceptional,” said Chris Adams, Surrey’s manager. “The
biomechanists say he’s just perfect to bowl fast. He has a long delivery